Clothesline prop



Dec. 1,1942. c, REESE ETAL 2,303,761

CLOTHESLINE PROP Filed April 14, 1942 7 INVENTOM f 6 g 7a 4 Patented Dec. 1, 1 942 Thomas Charles Reese and Albert Edward Hess, Ardmore, Pa.

Application April 14,1942, Serial No, 438,962

1 Claim. (c1. 248-353) Our invention relates to a new and useful clothes line prop of the type used for supporting a clothes line against sagging at or near its center portion due to the weight of clothes suspended thereon.

Props of this kind now used consist of a pole of the proper lengthwith a V-siot formed at one or both ends, one end of said pole being adapted to rest on the ground while the clothes line rests in the V-slot at the other end. Experience has shown that props of this character are not satisfactory for the reason that if the prop and the line are swayed by the wind as frequently happens the clothes line-is apt to slip out of the shallow V-slot in which it rests with the result that the clothes fall to the ground and become soiled. We are aware that attempts have been made to overcome this difliculty as exemplified in prior Patents Nos. 230,315 and 628,902 by providing some positive mechanical expedient for preventing the clothes line from being disengaged from the end of the supporting pole, but the prior devices referred to all resort to the use of rather complicated mechanisms involving the use of springs and other metallic parts thus, not only increasing the weight somewhat and greatly increasing the cost of producing such props, but we have also found that the use of springs and other metallic parts is most undesirable in an article such as a clothes line prop, which is exposed to the weather continuously, as this results in rusting and damaging the mechanical parts themselves and in soiling the clothes which, under action of the wind, are bound to come in contact with the rusty parts or with the rust covered portion of the supporting pole itself. To make all such parts from rust-resisting or stainless metal would make the use of such poles altogether prohibitive. To this should be added the fact that under present conditions of metal scarcity the use of any metallic parts should be stringently avoided wherever possible.

Furthermore, the employment of springs or spring-actuated parts is also undesirable because, if a spring is used to lock the line in position, the pressure of the spring must be overcome when the line is to be put in position or removed. This feature is believed to have been at least in part responsible for the lack of adoption of props so equipped and the adherence of the public to the conventional pole with the plain V-slot at its end.

It is therefore the object of our invention to overcome all of the above mentioned disadvantages and to produce an all wood self -locking construction which affords positive assurance against disengagement of the clothes line from the prop and that without the use of any metallic parts whatsoever, and in particular without theme of springs thus combining the advantages recited without incurring any of the disadvantages set forth.

The full nature and advantage of our novel invention will be more clearly understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawinginwhich:

Fig. 1 represents, on an enlarged scale, a side elevation of a clothes'line prop embodying our invention shown in actual use.

FiFig. 2 represents a left hand end elevation of g. 1. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of Fig.

1 showing details of construction.

Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts, 6 designates a clothes line prop which is made of an elongated piece of wood in the form of a pole which is shown as rectangular in cross section but the size and shape of which can obviously be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. 8 designates a pointed end which is intended to engage the ground to prevent slipping. At the upper or operative end of the pole we provide a recess II) which is preferably round and which is adapted to receive the clothes line l2. The recess Ill opens onto or merges with the lower key way It and the upper channel or key way It, said channel l6 and key way I4 in turn opening ontoormerging with the recess or cut out I8. 20 designates a latch which is provided with an upper recess adapted to engage the lower end of a pin 22 and with the lower tongue 24 which is adapted to engage the recess or key way It. 'The pin 22 is shorter than the cchannel l6 and is of a smaller diameter so as to be freely movable within the channel. It is understood that the channel is made sumciently large in diameter with respect to the diameter of the pin so as to allow for any possible expansion resulting from moisture so that there will be no binding of the pin in the channel. is adapted to close the upper end ofthe channel l6 after the parts have been assembled.

In constructing our prop it is merely necessary to take a pole of the desired dimensions and to gouge-out the opening"! and the key way I4, the channel I 6 and the pin 22. The pin 22 and the latch 20 are separately manufactured and the pin is then inserted downwardly through the 26 designates a plug which channel it. The latch 20 is then placed in position and some glue or other water-proof cement is put in the recess in the upper end or the latch firmly to cement the lower end of the pin 22 therein. The latch 2. and pin 22 are now movable as a unit. The plug 24 is now applied and the clothes prop is ready for use. As shown in Fig. 3, in order to insert the clothes line into the opening III (with the ends of the clothes line attached to two supporting poles spaced from each other), it is merely necessary for the operator to raise the latch 20 to the position shown in Fig. l. The clothes line I2 is now moved inwardly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. As soon as the clothes line has reached the recess II the latch 2. is allowed to drop by its own weight from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the tongue 24 engages the recess ll while the pin 22 is still in engagement with the lower portion of the channel II as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The latch 20 now completely obstructs the open end of the recess l and positively prevents the clothes line I2 from being disengaged from the pole. when It will thus be seen that our novel clothes line prop is made of an all wood construction so that it has no metal parts that may rust and that it is claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A clothes line prop having a cut out portion near the upper end thereoLa channel formed within the body of said prop and extending up-' wardly from the upper end of said out out portion, a square-cut key way formed within the body of said prop and extending downwardly from the lower end of said out out portion, there being a recess formed in the body of said prop at a point intermediate said channel and said key way and inwardly thereof, a rod slidable in said channel, and a latch member secured at its upper end to the lower end of said rod, said latch having a square-cut tongue formed at the lower inner end for engaging said key way, said latch and said rod being made of wood and normally occupying a. lower position in which .the latch member locks said recess.

THOMAS CHARLES REESE. ALBERT E. HESS. 

